Once Upon a Time in China
by Shirazuki
Summary: My attempt at a kung fu movie/fic. AU. Sakura's father, a great martial arts master, has been killed by a dangerous clan who wants the Clow Cards. His dying words were for her to get help from the Li clan...
1. Prolouge

Hello! This is my second fic. I know I didn't finish L&B yet but I'm working on it. However, I wrote this fic a loonnnnggg time ago. well at least the fist two chapters. I just found it on my harddrive and decided to clean it up and post it. If you guys like it, then I'll continue it cuz I have to finish my other story and I'm not too sure about this one.  
  
SO, if you like this (or don't) then please review and tell me so! tell me what you think. Without further ado, here is. (I know I stole the title from a Jet Li movie ^-^;;)  
  
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Once Upon a Time in China  
  
Prologue  
  
  
  
The night was dark, without a sliver of the silver moon or a twinkle of the golden stars. It was still; the air was filled with suspense and anticipation for something to come, a great tragedy.  
  
Sakura ran as fast as she could. Something was wrong. Her father was in trouble. She could hear him calling her, but his voice was getting weaker by the second. In the quiet of the night, only her footfalls could be heard. Faster and faster she ran, her lungs were bursting but she knew she couldn't stop. Why is it taking so long? She thought frantically; home never seemed to be this far away!  
  
Finally, the weathered arch of her home drifted over the horizon into view. Sakura flung the heavy wooden doors open, and ran inside. The site that greeted her was unspeakable.  
  
The courtyard was trashed. The beautiful oriental furniture was askew, broken and mangled. There was debris all over the ground. Sakura felt the panic rising inside of her. "Father?" she screamed, "Father? Where are you?" Tears welled up in her eyes as she raced inside the house, searching from room to room. She knew something bad had happen. Not just the trashed house, but something happened to her father. She ran into her father's study. The elegant room was destroyed beyond restore. Her father's prized books were thrown across what was left of the rug. The beautiful vases and antiques were all broken into pieces.  
  
Sakura didn't see any of this; all she saw was the crippled form lying on the floor. "Father!" Her expressive eyes widen in disbelief. Tears were pushing their way to the surface but she forced them down. Sakura refused to believe that her father was dead. She stumbled blindly to her father's side. She couldn't hold down the tears anymore. She touched her father's face with a trembling hand. "Father?" she whispered.  
  
The bloody form in her arms slowly opened his eyes. "Sakura?" he asked weakly. The white hair, always so neatly kept in a queue, was now matted with blood about his ashen face. His once clear twinkling eyes were now dull, almost lifeless.  
  
Sakura gasped and held onto Aiden tighter. "Father?" she asked wildly, "You're going to be alright, you'll make it through. We've been through tougher times than this." Her mind was reeling.  
  
Aiden coughed and blood came past his lips, "No my dear cherry blossom," he gave her a sad smile, "I won't make it this time," He looked into his daughter's eyes. "I'm so sorry Sakura. I tried to keep them away. They were after the cards. But they were too strong."  
  
"Who Father? Who did this to you?" Sakura wrung out. Here eyes blazing with fear and hatred.  
  
"The Wuten. Sakura, you must stop them. You must." Another cough racked his body. With a last breath he whispered, "XiaoYin, zhao Li jia qiu." His head dropped lifelessly in Sakura's arms.  
  
"Father? Father?!" Sakura looked frantically into Aiden's glazed eyes while tears fell unstopped down her face, "NO!! FATHER!!!" She turned her face towards the sky and let the pain wash over her while never loosening the hold on the lifeless body in her arms. "FATHER!!"  
  
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"LIN!! What do you mean you don't have the cards?! Answer me?!" her voice echoed omeniously in the darkened hall. Black tapestries hung over the lightless windows. The torches cast a flickering light upon the two rows of bowed heads on each side of the carpeted way leading up to the raised throne at the end of the hall. No one dared to meet her eyes. Anger flushed her pale cheeks. Murder was in her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry, Master Jing," her loyal disciple answered quietly as she stepped from her place in the line to bow down before her master's throne, "The cards weren't with the father." Lin bowed her head to the ground, afraid to look up, "The girl must have had possession of them."  
  
The belligerent fire in Jing Du's eyes suddenly disappeared. In its place was an icy evil. "The girl had them you say? Are you sure?" she asked with a chilling coolness.  
  
Lin started to tremble, "Yes Master." The fear in the room was palatable.  
  
She looked over to the rest of her five students who fell into line behind Lin. "Well, well, well," she said. Her violent eyes glittered. "It might be better this way. I guess then we can have a little fun," her silky voice said as a very elaborate plan began to form in her mind. 


	2. Fire and Fire

Here is the first chapter. Its S+S...unless that's not what you want... Well anywayz, enjoy.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own CCS or the title of this story. However I DO own the story and all the things in my head so there :P  
  
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Once Upon a Time in China  
  
Chapter One - Fire and Fire  
  
  
  
Li Shaoran was on his way home with his friend, Feilong, from a day of work at his family's medicine shop.  
  
Life was good for him. Shaoran's got the look that has girls falling at his feet and he's the number one martial artist in all of Canton; it was as if he was the modern version of Wang Fei Hong. Shaoran was a very powerful sorcerer and not to mention he's also the future leader of the Li clan. All of which probably makes even the emperor envy him. He's suave and charming and is a very smooth talker, which got him out of trouble more than once.  
  
"So Shaoran, your birthday is coming up soon," Feilong said, "and that would make you twenty three." He ducked as a man carrying bamboo rushed by on the busy street. He looked over at his best friend, "You've came of age years ago Shaoran, it's time for you to find a bride." He goaded him teasingly. Feilong had been Shaoran's best friend since as long as anyone can remember. They were like brothers. He knew how much Shaoran despise the thought of settling down like his family wanted him to. Every time someone dared to breach the subject, Shaoran would always talk him or her into seeing his side of the matter, saying how he just hasn't found the right girl yet. But inside, Shaoran didn't have any intention of finding a bride. Why would he want to be bounded to a brainless woman for the rest of his life? Females were all the same to him, they're entertaining for a while, and then it grows old.  
  
"Feilong," Shaoran sighed, "Please drop the subject."  
  
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"Come on, pretty girl, come with us," the grubby man drawled out with a smirk. His clothes were dirty and he smelt very bad. He was the leader of the street gang, Black Eagle.  
  
"Yeah, you pretty thing, we can have some fun," another gang member said as his lustful eyes raked over Sakura's body meaningfully. He seemed to be able to see her heavy cloak and garments. She felt repulsed.  
  
There were at least ten of them, all there to cause trouble and pick on the helpless and the innocent. The gang was notorious for their harsh beatings and their always unsatisfied urges to cause trouble for girls. When Yinwan, the leader of the gang arrived at the restaurant where Sakura was taking a break, everyone fled the place leaving the owner begging on his knees for them not to destroy his shop and Sakura to glare disgustedly at them. Now we can say that Yinwan had a thing for pretty girls, he had at least two- dozen concubines, so you can imagine what happened when he finally noticed a lone girl sitting in the corner.  
  
Unfortunately for them, Sakura wasn't as helpless or innocent as they thought.  
  
Sakura felt her blood boil. Her father was dead. She had no family anymore, no fears. no cares; she was empty. All that occupied her mind and heart was the satisfaction of revenge. She vowed to the heavens above that she would take revenge for what those savage people had done to her father.  
  
Sakura, or XiaoYin as her father liked to call her, grew up in SuZhou with her father. He was a martial arts master, one of the best. They ran a special school to train young people back in SuZhou. Sakura helped there since she herself was trained in marital arts from when she could walk. Everyone adored her. From her gentle smile to her caring nature, everyone loved her as if she was a part of his or her family. But despite the natural kind attitude of the daughter and father, no one dared to cross their path. Sakura's abilities were incredible for anyone and especially at her age, unbelievable. Her father always said that she had a secret power within her, he was always so proud of her. But now he was gone.  
  
The different gang members grinned at each other then back at Sakura. They ignored the restaurant keeper and then slowly made their way towards Sakura's table nonchalantly. Yinwan sat down at the table. Sakura turned her face away and took a sip of her tea. She ignored them and acted as if they were invisible. Yinwan laughed, "I like a little spirit in my women." The rest of his supporters laughed along with him.  
  
Sakura's eyes glazed over with fire and hatred, but still she remained quiet.  
  
Yinwan's hand reached for Sakura but it was stopped midway. "Don't touch me," an icy voice slithered from under the hood of the cloak. Everyone laughed again.  
  
"Oh, I guess she talks!" Yinwan mocked. Then his eyes turned evil and said, "But she won't anymore if she keeps this up." His hand once again reached for Sakura again.  
  
"I said don't touch me," Sakura threatened. She slowly turned her head to face the gang. Her liquid green eyes astounded them, but something in them made the group uncomfortable.  
  
"I think you should keep this one, boss," someone said with nervous laughter. The rest of the group followed with the awkward laughter.  
  
Yinwan looked back at Sakura, "I guess I should." With his smirking eyes still on Sakura's placid face he said, "Boys, lets take her home." That was all they needed to hear. The dirty, grimy, morally corrupt men grinned and made their grabs at Sakura.  
  
They were faced with a BIG surprise.  
  
Sakura unsheathed her sword in one swift movement and took a swing at the group. Then she calmly stood up from her seat and faced them all in a battle stance. Everyone backed away. Yinwan screamed at them, "Its only a girl! I want her now!" The men renewed their efforts. Two of them came running towards Sakura with their weapons drawn and struck out at her.  
  
Sakura easily dodged them, she grinned coldly. "I guess you need a lesson." She slapped the man's hand with a pair of chopsticks, "Lesson number one: never reveal your weak hand to your enemy." The man dropped his weapon and went off howling as Sakura broke his hand with a swift jab of the chopsticks. The man's partner lunged at Sakura with a mace. She rolled over the table, "Lesson number two," she sneered, "never think you can handle a weapon that you can not." She kicked him in the stomach as he was trying to raise the mace for another swing and he went tumbling over the balcony railing. Two more of the Black Eagle gang charged at her. Sakura jumped up into the air and kicked out. She landed in a split with one leg propped on each of the men's heads. "Lesson number three," she said coolly with a laugh, "Two heads aren't always better than one." Then she grabbed onto the rafter and swung around to kick both men in the chest sending them piling on top of the rest of the group.  
  
Shaoran and Feilong were walking down the street when they saw two members of the Black Eagle gang flying out of a window at a restaurant. They hurried over to the restaurant and peered inside.  
  
Shaoran's face grew hard. He saw Yinwan picking on a girl, hasn't he learned his lesson from last time? Shaoran bounded inside and said, "Yinwan, I guess you forgot what we agreed to last time. Why don't I remind you?"  
  
With that he jumped into the fight and soon was showing off his impressive moves.  
  
"Get out of here!" Sakura hissed to Shaoran. He ignored her and continued to fight. Soon all of Yinwan's gang members ran away, scared and broken, leaving Yinwan to fend for himself.  
  
"Get out of here," Sakura said again, but to Yinwan this time, amidst the broken tables and chairs. When the large man failed to move, Sakura drew her sword, "Now!" Yinwan broke out of his petrified state and ran away as fast as he could.  
  
Sakura sheathed her sword and walked carefully over to the storeowner, her cloak once again falling in place around her," I'm so sorry mister. I didn't mean to damage to your shop." She paused and took out her money pouch, "I know this isn't much and it's not enough to cover for the damage I've done but please accept it. I'll pay you back someday."  
  
The old man turned his shining eyes to Sakura. "Little girl, its ok." He looked about his broken shop. "They do worse than this, thank you for saving my shop." The old man started to cry.  
  
Sakura gave him her handkerchief. "Here take it." Sakura helped the old man up. She cast a contempt eye over the young man who had helped her despite her protested. "Don't get into fights that don't involve you. I didn't need your help." With that she grabbed her sword and she walked out the door.  
  
The old man stood there, watching her retreating back. He sighed, "That young woman has the heart of a hero. I hope she finds what she is looking for." He shook his head sorrowfully and looked over Shaoran still standing with his mouth hanging open.  
  
How dare she talk to him like that! He just saved her worthless life! She should be thanking him, bowing at his feet perhaps, maybe even kissing the hem of his robes. He fumed. Shaoran turned on his heel and stormed out of the shop with Feilong joining him from outside the shop.  
  
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So, tell me what you think. It's my attempt at a kung fu movie type story thing..  
  
Well, I just want to say that when I watched a dubbed kung fu movie the first time, I doubled over laughing. It's so hard to translate the cultural dialect. Now is see it is even harder in writing. Especially the fighting scenes. That needs to be left to the imagination. Ah well..  
  
Your reviews will tell me whether or not to continue this story so REVIEW!! don't be shy! click that button! 


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